


a fire that's been burning, right outside my door

by hustlexrose



Category: Mr. Robot (TV)
Genre: Angst, Domlene, F/F, Fix It Fic, enemies to lovers is my favorite trope, give me a redemption arc, one shots, spoilers for the actual show
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:54:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24865624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hustlexrose/pseuds/hustlexrose
Summary: Fix it fic for the end of Mr. Robot S4 Ep 4. Contains spoilers for the actual plot of the show. Ye be warned.
Relationships: Darlene Alderson/Dominique DiPierro
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	a fire that's been burning, right outside my door

Darlene stopped the car in the middle of the road and let out a frustrated scream.

She was alone. It was the middle of the night. She had just confessed her deepest insecurities - her bullshit, her fears - to a random dude in a Santa suit. Christ, she had forgotten for a minute that it was Christmas Eve.

She sighed and her breath caught in the cold air like a cloud. Just another night in her fucked up excuse for a life. Here she was, again, chasing after her brother. Worrying about him. Wanting to protect him; to save him from himself and from everyone else. The little shit.

What bothered her most was everything she had told the Santa was true. She lost everyone she got close to and it was usually her fault. But she just had to keep going. Keep surviving. That was all she had ever known. But it was starting to weigh on her, now more than ever.

She gripped the steering wheel as a memory flickered to life in her mind. A flash of a night at a bar, months ago when the weather was still warm after sunset. A spark, a laugh, an olive green t-shirt that revealed a surprising amount of tattoos. A few drinks, but not too many. Then, the darkness of a stranger's apartment. But was she really a stranger then? John Prine serenading them in the background. A false start at first, but then full speed ahead. A flip of long, curled, red hair shining against the streetlights coming in through the windows. Darlene had felt light then. Before it all went to shit anyway. Could she ever get that feeling back?

She knew it was crazy. Hell, it was even crazier now given the circumstances. Dom would never forgive her. Why would she? Darlene wouldn't even forgive herself. But the truth was, she couldn't stop thinking about her. That night in the bar. It started out as a ruse, sure, but the more they talked, the more they kissed, the more honest it felt. Darlene had faked chemistry with enough people in her life to know the real thing when she found it. 

She lit a cigarette and took a long, thoughtful drag. She rolled the window down just enough to let the smoke out. The heat quickly escaped the car and was replaced by the desolate winter air. Darlene had done what she'd needed to do that night, but she'd paid dearly for it since. She'd gotten Dom deeper into this hell pit than she ever needed to go. Whenever Darlene thought of that day they all got dragged out to the woods, her heart sank to her stomach. She had never seen Dom like that before. She was usually so calm and collected. The anger was justified, Darlene thought, but the pain in her eyes had been unbearable. Darlene knew that level of fear and betrayal all too well. God did she wish she could go back and change things.

She stared out into the blackness. She knew she had to go after Elliot. He needed her and she would always be there for him. But maybe the Santa was right. She had to worry about herself for once. She crushed out her cigarette on the dashboard and threw the car into reverse, screeching into a u-turn. Elliot would be okay until morning. There was someone else she had to see first.

***

Dom felt her way to the bathroom in the dark. She was a little shaken up by her Dark Army nightmare, but honestly nothing really phased her anymore. Seeing a man get hacked to pieces in front of your eyes will do that to you. In fact, she was just glad to feel anything at all. She was beginning to think she had finally lost all emotional sensation since Darlene fucked her over. She was also relieved she didn't invite a total stranger from the internet over to her apartment. She wasn't that desperate... yet. Although she had to admit to herself that watching Darlene's interrogation tapes to get off was close to crossing some kind of line. She just wasn't sure what that line was. Or if she really cared.

She leaned over the bathroom sink and splashed some water on her face. Why could she not shake this feeling of longing she had for Darlene? Dom was a grown woman. She had gone through many break ups in her life and, let's face it, most of them had not been mutual. She had never really been what you'd call "lucky in love." It had given her a thick skin and taught her to keep her guard up- traits that were solidified after joining the FBI. So what was so special about Darlene? She had tried to outsmart her, but of course Dom had caught her red-handed. Dom was used to people underestimating her, but she still had to admire the effort. To say her life had gone up in flames since that night would be an understatement, but somewhere in the depths of her mind she couldn't help but think...it was worth it. 

She groped for a towel and tried to bury the thought; overpower it with logic. She dried her face before looking in the mirror. She didn't have her glasses on, but she saw movement behind her in the darkness.

"Jesus H!" She jumped and grabbed at the wall for balance as she spun around. She tried to catch her breath and swallowed hard. When she realized who it was, her voice dropped from scared to annoyed. "What are you doing here?"

Darlene stood in the doorway, sheepish, looking down quickly then back up to Dom. Her dark hair and black beanie faded into the night around them. Her pale skin and big, blue eyes etched in liner glowed in the darkness. She actually looked a little more polished than Dom was used to, but the look on her face said she hadn't slept in days.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." She fidgeted with the straps on her backpack and shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"Well geez-o-pete you're lucky I'm not armed." Dom turned and hung her towel on the rack next to the sink. "Also," she turned back to Darlene and pushed past her on her way out of the bathroom. "Are you completely out of your mind?" She opened the fridge and rummaged around the interior as Darlene followed her into the kitchen. "Dark Army watches me day and night. They're probably listening right now." She cracked a beer and turned toward Darlene. She leaned against the counter. "Or have you forgotten that?"

"It's fine, chill. I'm being careful. I'm not an idiot."

"Aren't you?" Dom took a swig.

Darlene frowned. She was used to being challenged. She had to fight for everything she'd ever gotten in life. But not like this. Not from someone like Dom. Someone who could hurt her. 

"Okay, I deserved that," she conceded. She wasn't sure what to say. She suddenly realized that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come here. She desperately wished she could take back what she'd done. But it had needed to happen. One way or the other. How could she ever expect Dom to understand? 

"Well?" Dom was getting agitated. Darlene needed to start explaining and fast. "Go on. Spit it out."

"Look, what happened between us was fucked up. But you have to understand that I did it to help my brother. I never thought it would... that you would be..." Darlene trailed off. She didn't know what to say. What could she say? What could she say to a woman she'd betrayed, tricked, and lied to, but desperately wanted back in her life?

"If this is you apologizing, I'm not impressed so far." Dom crossed her arms, standing her ground. She wasn't going to let her get off that easy.

"You know what? Fine." Darlene threw her hands up and turned on her heel toward the door. "I don't know what I expected or why I even came here." She pulled her beanie down farther over her ears and wanted to curl into herself. She felt defiant like an emotional teenager. She never did get those outbursts under control.

Before she could get her hand on the door knob, she felt Dom at her side, grabbing her by the elbow.

"Hey, wait," Dom said softly. Darlene looked at her, surprised. Her lips parted slightly. 

"Why did you come here?" Dom asked. There was a tenderness to her voice Darlene wasn't expecting. 

There it was again. That flash of memory in Darlene's head. Dom's lips. Her smooth skin. Darlene remembered being surprised at how strong she was; confident and deliberate with her movements in bed. The sound of her voice was calming like the ocean, washing over her and making everything clean. Dom had been so gentle with her. Darlene would have given anything to feel that safe with another person again.

She searched Dom's eyes. Could she really do this? They were both in danger. But maybe with Elliot's plan to take down White Rose...could things really be different? Could things really change? Maybe it was Darlene's turn. Maybe Darlene could keep her safe. Maybe Darlene could finally succeed where she had failed so many times before.

She reached up and moved a strand of Dom's hair from her face. It was as soft as she remembered. Dom's eyes fluttered closed for a second as she leaned into Darlene's touch.

"Dom, listen to me. I never meant to get you deeper into this shit. What I did was wrong and I am so, so sorry. I didn't expect things to go like that between us. I didn't expect..." she trailed off and let out a pained sigh. 

"You didn't expect what?" Dom asked, hopeful. She knew she didn't need to forgive her. She didn't even need to consider it. But she had to know. And after everything they had been through, Darlene had nothing to lose and nothing to hide. Dom knew whatever happened next would be the truth. 

Darlene held her gaze for a few seconds, took a deep breath, shrugged her back pack off her shoulders and kissed her.

Dom's entire body lit up the moment Darlene's lips touched hers. Gosh had she missed those perfectly full lips. She plunged her hands into Darlene's long, wild mess of black hair, her fingers twisting and gripping the strands. She pulled her close and the entire world faded away. Dark Army could be listening or watching or inside the damn apartment for all she cared. 

"I'm gonna get you out of this," Darlene whispered in her ear. "I'm gonna keep you safe."

And for a moment, Darlene almost believed she could.

**Author's Note:**

> I love both of these characters and writing this was more fun and challenging than I originally thought. At the time of writing, I haven't finished watching the show yet, but I'm feeling strong redemption arc vibes for our dark princess Darlene. To be continued...?


End file.
